"He was mentioned in the memoriam section."
The acclaimed Bollywood production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai was honoured at the Oscars on March 10, 2024.
Desai was a renowned art director who was found dead at his studio on August 2, 2023. He was 57 years old.
He began his career as a production designer when he worked on Parinda (1989).
Desai also directed two Marathi films.
He was mentioned in the memoriam section of the Oscars, where the ceremony paid homage to several noted celebrities who passed away in 2023.
Nitin Chandrakant Desai was the only Bollywood personality to be mentioned in the tribute.
According to reports, Desai was in financial crisis at the time of his death.
He had trouble paying back a loan worth hundreds of crores and a bankruptcy court had admitted an insolvency petition against his company.
The pressure allegedly became too much for Desai, which unfortunately led him to take his own life at his office in the Raigad District.
During his career, Desai worked on several films, adorning them with his art and imagination.
These included several Aamir Khan films, such as Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), Mela (2000) and the Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001).
When Desai passed away, Aamir attended his funeral. He said:
“This is very shocking news. I am unable to understand how did this happen.
“I can’t believe it – I wish he did not do this and reached out for help instead.
“But what can we say in such a tragic situation, it is very difficult to understand what has happened.
“It is very sad. We have lost someone who was very talented.”
Aamir briefly addressed the low turnout at Desai’s funeral. He added:
“Maybe some people could not attend for some reason.
“I am sure he has a special place in everyone’s heart. I would offer my condolences to his family.”
Veteran star Hema Malini had also written: “Shocking news this morning – Art Director Nitin Desai is no more.
“Such a warm human being, associated with many of my projects and ballets, his passing is a terrible loss to the film industry.
“May he find peace wherever he is.”
Desai’s company, ND’s Art World Pvt Ltd, had reportedly borrowed Rs. 185 Crore (£17.5 million) through two loans from ECL Finance in 2016 and 2018.
The 2024 Oscars marked the 96th ceremony of the Academy Awards which honoured some of the best movies released in 2023.
The star-studded night saw Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer win big with seven awards including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Actor’ for Cillian Murphy.
Emma Stone won the second Oscar of her career for Poor Things.
Nitin Chandrakant Desai was an undeniable force of Bollywood. His sets decorated many films and it was a moment of pride to see him honoured at the 2024 Oscars.
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